Nilambur By-Election 2025: Voting Tomorrow; Full Schedule, Key Candidates, And Political Dynamics
Nilambur Bypoll 2025: The voting for the by-polls to the Kerala's Nilambur Assembly constituency will take place tomorrow, i.e. June 19. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released the complete schedule for the upcoming by-election last month. According to the announcement, polling will take place on June 19, 2025, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 23.
Why the By-Election?
The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of PV Anvar, who vacated the Nilambur seat on January 13, 2025, after a fallout with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). Anvar had won the seat in the 2021 Assembly election as an LDF candidate, defeating VV Prakash of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Initially elected as an independent in 2016, Anvar later aligned with the LDF but has now parted ways. Reports suggest he has been attempting to join the UDF and is currently serving as the State Convener of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). However, his nomination under the TMC banner was rejected, and he is now contesting the bypoll as an independent candidate.
Key Candidates for Nilambur Bypoll 2025
The Nilambur by-election has attracted significant political interest, with candidates representing all major fronts:
M. Swaraj – Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], representing the LDF
Aryadan Shoukath – Indian National Congress, representing the UDF
Adv. Mohan George – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Adv. Sadik Naduthodi – Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI)
PV Anvar – Contesting as an Independent, after being denied candidature by the TMC
Constituency Profile
The Nilambur Assembly constituency comprises the Nilambur municipality and panchayats such as Edakkara, Pothukal, Chungathara, Vazhikkadavu, Moothedam, Karulai, and Amarambalam. Historically, the seat has been a Congress-UDF stronghold, barring two notable exceptions:
In 2016, PV Anvar won as an Independent
In 2021, he secured the seat on an LDF ticket
With Anvar now running independently, the main contest is expected between the LDF and the UDF, although the presence of multiple parties and independents could influence vote dynamics.
Full Election Schedule for Nilambur By-Election 2025
As per the ECI, the notification for the by-election was issued on May 26, 2025, with the last date for filing nominations being June 2. The date of scrutiny was June 3, and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures was June 5.
Polling Date: June 19, 2025
Counting of Votes: June 23, 2025
Completion of Election Process: June 25, 2025
Electoral Roll Updates
The Election Commission carried out a Special Summary Revision of the electoral roll with April 1, 2025, as the qualifying date. Applications were invited from eligible citizens for inclusion in the updated roll. The final electoral roll was published on May 5, 2025, following a time-bound revision process.
However, the ECI has clarified that the process of continuous updation of the electoral roll will remain active until 10 days before the last date for filing nominations, allowing for the inclusion of eligible applicants with respect to the qualifying date.
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